6 MISSOURI AGR. EXP. STA. RESEARCH BULLETIN 41 



Because it calls for small initial investment the production of 

 scrub cattle on open range is still generally practiced. Hog rais- 

 ing particularly of the bacon breed is better adapted to the nature 

 of the country. 



"For the raising of hogs conditions are much better, as the 

 abundance of acorns and other mast makes the average range 

 fairly good."* 



THE FOREST 



Composition. Various species of oaks make up the bulk of 

 the forest on the Clarksville stony loam, chief among them being 

 black, red, Spanish, black jack, white and post oaks while there is 

 also a scattering of hickory and some sour gum in places. The 

 mixture is not uniform but there are stands of all graduations from 

 an almost pure stand of any one of the principal species to an 

 almost even mixture of all species except gum. In general, the 

 broader ridge tops support a growth of post oaks while near the 

 break of the slopes or on top, black jack in varying numbers is 

 found. Most of the slopes bear a stand of either the black or red 

 oaks or these species mixed with white oak. Most of the white 

 oak occurs on northern exposures or near the bottom of the slopes 

 and in the stream valleys. 



Size and Condition of Trees. The trees are usually of small 

 size, too small for saw timber. The bulk of the timber from this 

 region goes on the market as ties or cordwood or is used locally 

 for fuel and fencing. Then, too, much of it is defective. As a rule, 

 black jack seldom reaches a size of more than 10 to 12 inches in 

 diameter and when it becomes 3 or 4 inches in diameter it is sub- 

 ject to shake and heart rot. It is rarely used except for fuel. 

 Post oak is usually a rather small tree, reaching in rare cases a 

 diameter in excess of 20 inches. Fire scars, hollow, butts and 

 both red and brown heart rot are the commonest defects. On the 

 whole, these two species are the most defective of any found in 

 the Ozark forests. White oak, especially on the small patches of 

 fair soil close to the streams remains sound and becomes a large 

 timber tree. The larger trees on the poor soil are often rotten 

 near the ground. The black or red oaks appear to be compara- 

 tively free from defects although some rotten trees are found. It 



*Sauer, "The Geography of the Ozark Highland of Missouri," p. 185. 



